It's a song that is usually attributed to the Woodie Brothers from the northwest corner of North Carolina in the Ashe County area. They recorded it on Friday, May 29, 1931 in Charlotte, NC, but beyond the Zonophone record (which only sold 864 copies!) I couldn't find much about this band itself. Any case, their recording is great - it was uploaded to the web by a fellow named Michael Robertson- and I saw it on the Field Recorder's collective Facebook page. Check it and another great version out by following this link over to worksongs.org!

Where I learned it

From Mia Friedman, the great fiddler/songster out of Newton, Massachussets. She's got a new album out with her sister Ari and it's on there. Pretty sure I learned it from her at Maine Fiddle Camp several years ago, though. There is a video of Mia, Ari, Eden MacAdam-Somer and Sarah Jarosz playing it here on the song's page at worksongs.org

Why it's a great song:

Peppy rhythm and a memorable hook
Great harmony opportunities
Easy to invent lyrics because of the simple verse structure
I taught it to the crew down at Sylvester Manor this week and everyone had smiles on their face learning it. I'm convinced that even if it wasn't traditionally a worksong it makes a great one in today's context.

If you try it:

Find someone to sing it with that is great at harmonies. Bumps the song up several notches!

Check it out:

Here is a link to the song at worksongs.org
Here is an interesting mudcat discussion about the song
The Field Recorder's Collective
Ari & Mia sing it on their new album "Land on Shore"
Maine Fiddle Camp